Utility regulators rejected expansion of generating station

PHOENIX (AP) — State utility regulators have rejected a proposed power plant expansion project that pitted environmental justice concerns against metro Phoenix’s increasing electricity demands during Arizona’s summer heat. The Arizona Corporation Commission’s 4-1 vote Tuesday was a victory for residents of Randolph, a small historically Black community near Coolidge in Pinal County. Citing concerns about emissions and air quality, residents opposed the Salt River Project’s nearly $1 billion project to add 16 more quick-start units to its nearby natural gas-fueled generating station. The Sierra Club also opposed the project, which SRP officials said was urgently needed to reliably augment other sources of power.